Mablung the Unrelenting
Mablung the Unrelenting is one of the greatest heroes of the Ashen Thanes Chapter. He is also the oldest marine of the chapter, having been interred in an ancient Contemptor Dreadnought. Before his internment in a dreadnought sarcophagus, he was the only Astartes of the then Iron-Bound Thanes, to receive the title Ar Huan or 'Great Hunter'. History Like most of the Chapter's early history, most of Mablung's early life was lost when the World Burning happened. What little now remains comes from his own recollection. Even before becoming an Astartes he was a skilled hunter, living outside the warring kingdoms. It was only through rumour of his skill that the Iron-Bound Thanes heard tales of this young boy who could hunt better than a grown man. Eventually, deep in one of the planet's Great Forests, the Chapter's recruiters found him. Seeing in him great potential, he was invited to undergo the trials of the chapter, and so, he accepted. Seeing he was already a masterful hunter he was allowed to skip the first trial and proceed directly to the second trial. While he passed the second trial with flying colours he nearly failed the third, only passing because his partner surrendered to him out of respect, and Mablung would not fight because he viewed fighting a foe who already surrendered to be dishonourable. Life as an Astartes Once he began the process of becoming an Astartes of the Emperor, he, like all Neophytes, became a Scout Marine. There he excelled, having learned all about silent movement and killing in his youth. First among his Battle-Brothers, Mablung was promoted to Devastator Marine, then Tactical with record speed. Wherever he was put he showed skill beyond his peers and many expected him to be granted the honour of joining the Deathwatch. However he never got the chance as his officers saw in him a pair of deadly flaws; he often lost sight of his mission to pursue enemy champions and commanders and, strangely for the chapter, he worked alone. Having grown up in isolation he worked best when not around his battle-brothers seeing them as an impediment to tracking his foes, at times. Rather than discipline him for these callous feelings the Chapter Master decided to appoint him a unique honour -- to become the Chapter's first Ar Huan ('Great Hunter'). Working outside the companies he would work alongside them under the direct command of the Chapter Master, to hunt the most elusive of their foes. From Dark Eldar Haemonculi to cunning Ork Warbosses, none where beyond his reach. As his Chapter had few battles with the Eldar, seeing them as the closest thing to a redeemable xenos as was possible, he would sometimes interact with Eldar in the pursuit of his targets. In order to better communicate with them, as well as to follow the command to 'know thy enemy', he learned as much of the Eldar Language as the Imperial Scholars could teach him and even learned some of the basic body language through his own observations. Deathwatch Service While he would spend months, even years, away from the majority of his Chapter, Mablung still regularly fought alongside his it. After 150 years of earning glory after glory in the service of his Chapter, the Chapter Master was becoming increasingly pressured by the local Watch Captain of the Deathwatch to allow this extraordinary hunter of xenos to give his skills to the Long Watch. After a Deathwatch Kill-Team saved the Ashen Thanes' First Company from an Ork WAAAGH! by slaying the Warboss, the Chapter Master in gratitude promised to give the Deathwatch a 'were-gild'. Seeing the opportunity, the Watch Captain demanded for Mablung to be recommended for Daethwatch service, and the Iron-Bound Thanes Chapter Master held to his oath. In the Deathwatch, Mablung proved to be everything the Watch Captain believed he would be. Surrounded by Astartes just as skilled as he was, Mablung was quickly assigned a Kill-Team to serve with. For 150 standard years, Mablung and his Battle-Brothers blazed a glorious trail through the annals of the Deathwatch. Even in the 42nd Millennium, stories are still told amongst the Deathwatch of the Purgatus Kill-Team that killed a thousand xenos commanders. Fall from Glory After two standard centuries, Mablung began to yearn for his home world, Taur-Hithlum, and his battle-brothers among the Iron-Bound Thanes. He began to eagerly wait for the end of his service among the watch. It would come to him sooner than he thought however. In a mission against the Eldar of a minor Craftworld, his Deathwatch made the fatal mistake of underestimating the prescience of an Eldar Farseer. Led into a trap by the Eldar forces, the Kill-Team ended up separated, with Mablung being the only one amongst them to make it to the Farseer. In an epic duel the Hunter and the Farseer clashed, unfortunately, though Mablung's own marital skill surpassed that of the Farseer, but the xenos' psychic powers made the fight unfair. When the remaining members of the Kill-Team made it to his location they found him half-dead. Broken in body but not in spirit, Mablung somehow survived his mortal wounds long enough for his Kill-Team to retreat and bring him back to the safety of the Watch Fortress. Unable to return him to full health, Mablung was placed in a stasis casket and returned to his Chapter. Unwilling to lose one of their greatest champions, and Mablung himself unwilling to die so easily, the decision was made to give the valiant warrior the great honour of being interred in the Chapter's only Contemptor Dreadnought. As a Dreadnought For one as used to free movement and silent tracking, being interred in a Dreadnought created great physical and mental hardships that would take him centuries to overcome. Then came the Burning of Taur-Hithlum, the cataclysmic war with a World Eaters warband that nearly destroyed the Iron-Bound Thanes. Returning to the planet with the 1st Company, Mablung was horrified to see the great forests of his home burning. Enraged beyond description, when the skies were secured, Mablung was among the first to go to the aid of the planet's surviving civilians and defenders. The all-consuming anger of Mablung attracted countless Khornate daemons. While numerous and powerful, they proved little more than fodder for the armoured might and Deathwatch-honed skills of the Great Hunter. Through numberless sunless days and moonless nights (the smoke was too thick for light to pierce) what Iron-Bound Thanes remained used the Dreadnought's rage to their advantage, using the enemies' distraction to build what hasty fortifications that they could. When Imperial reinforcements finally arrived, only 80 Astartes remained alive, and of the Chapter's Dreadnoughts only Mablung remained. None of the chapter's Captains survived the battle, as well as the Chapter Master, the High Chaplain, and most of the Chapter's Skalds (Librarians). Most senior of the remaining Astartes, Mablung temporarily took up the position of Chapter Master. He would continue at this post for the next 60 standard years at which point he deemed one of the newly appointed captains strong enough to lead the chapter. Personality During his years as a regular Space Marine Mablung was noted by many of his officers to be remarkably independent compared to a regular Astartes. While he was Just and Honest to his companions, the manner in which he distanced himself from his fellows caused concern in the Chapters leadership. As Ar Huan (Great Hunter) is isolationist tendencies only got worse. Only when he joined the Deathwatch did he improve, for the first time he was among equals and even superiors. For 200 years he served gladly among the greatest of the Imperium's warriors but as his fellows slowly disappeared one by one he began to yearn for his Home World again. After being interred in a Dreadnought he once again changed. Now he was unable to roam free as he once was, to feel the elements against his skin. However he was still one of the Emperor's Finest and he refused to give in or die, so he chose a different path, he choose to adapt. Now he serves as a guide to the Ashen Thanes as well as Heavy Weapons support. Strangely enough, unlike many marines interred in Dreadnoughts he seemingly grows more active as the centuries go by. Wargear As a Astartes of the Ashen Thanes Mablung likes to Fight his foe in close combat, while still having options for long range. Before the World Burning he was typically outfitted with a contemptor pattern powerclaw with built in storm bolter, and a Plasma Cannon on the other arm. After the World Burning, and even more so in recent centuries, he has begun to vary his arsenal widely, though he still prefers his powerclaw. In recent centuries he has begun to favor the twin-linked Bolt Cannon the Ashen Thanes developed from studying Tau weapons in secret. Category:Space Marine Characters Category:Characters Category:Imperium Category:Space Marines